HTC wins recognition at the Courtyard Marriott Midtown East

On August 1, 2017 workers in the Rooms, Casual Dining, and Repairs & Maintenance departments at the Courtyard Marriott Midtown East Hotel won Union representation by HTC.

It took the union’s organizers 2 days to sign up 89% of the employees. Because the hotel was covered by a card check neutrality agreement with our union, the workers were able to unionize quickly and without fear of intimidation or retaliation by management.

The hotel has been operating non-union since 1998, and many of the employees believed their years of service with Marriott gave them some kind of job security. They learned otherwise when a new management company, HEI Hotel and Resorts, took over earlier this year. Almost immediately, HEI outsourced the security department to a subcontracted agency. Within an hour after those terminated workers left the building, the new subcontracted security staff began their shift. The same day, management announced the permanent layoff of the entire Bell/Door staff, without notice. Then, the Front Desk Agents were told that henceforth they would carry and store all luggage, in addition to their other duties.

Engineer Tristan Skeene said, “It was a total shock to all of us when it happened. We knew the same thing could happen to any of us. All at once, our world was turned upside down.”

HTC Assistant Director of Organizing, Samantha Coughlin, commented, “It always surprises me that many workers still don’t understand that modern companies don’t make important decisions based on loyalty to or sympathy for their employees. The bottom line is truly their bottom line. Hotels are constantly being sold and changing management companies, and when that happens, the non-union employees almost always get hurt. That’s why it’s so important for hotel workers to have the job security rights HTC negotiates into all its contracts, like protections against subcontracting and changes in ownership or management and, of course, the right not to be fired (or forced to resign) unjustly.”

The union fully expects that the employees of the Marriott Courtyard Midtown East will soon enjoy all those rights and many more, guaranteed in an excellent contract. Stay tuned for updates on negotiations.

The membership of HTC welcomes these workers into our ranks!